Fibrous or filamentary material.



UNITED STATES Patented August 25, 1903.

PATENT OFFICE.

FlBROUS OR FILAME NTARY MATERIAL.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 737,236, dated August 25, 1903. Application filed April 25, 1902. Serial No. 104,714. (N0 specimens.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CHARLES NEWMAN HOLMES, a subject of the King of Great Britain,and a resident of (llapham', London, S. W., England, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in or Connected with Fibrous or Filamentary Materials, of which the following is a specification.

. My invention relates to a new or improved method of and means for treating certain fibrous or filamentary materials whereby certain advantages are obtained. It also embraces a new commercial product.

In order that my invention may be readily understood, I shall first describe by way of a type or example the manner in whichI carry it into effect in the treatment of cocoanut fiber. The fiber is placed in a suitable vessel and covered with a solution of alkali, such as caustic soda. With this particular alkali I prefer to use a two-'per-cent. solution; but with other alkalies the percentage can be varied according to their chemical activities. The fiber is boiled in this solution for about one hour, principally to free the fiber from its natural grease. the fiber may be washed with cold water; but

this is not absolutely necessary.

So far I have described nothing new, as the above-described treatment forms part of the well-known Langbeck process.

I now remove the fiber to a secondbath, containing, preferably, the following materials in the quantities given: logwood extract, twenty pounds; sumac extract, thirty pounds, and solution of persulfate of iron, ninety-five pounds in five hundred gallons of water, the strength of the solution of persulfate of iron mentioned being about that of the British Pharmacopm'o. The fiber being in the bath, the temperature is maintained at 100 to 150 Fahrenheit for a few minutes and is then allowed to fall, the fiber being left in the bath for from six to twelve hours. Thereafter the fiber will generally be sufficiently colored, the mordanting and dyeing having both been performed during this one operation. The coloring of the fiber is not, however, the only object of this treatment, for in addition it has for its object the stiffening of the fibers. I am not sure of the exact way in which this stifiening is effected;

After the alkaline solution is run off.

but according to my belief it is due to the impregnation of the fiber by a salt or salts, (in this case iron persulfate.) The fiber is now removed from the bath, passed through a hydro-extractor to partially dry it, and afterward finally dried in any suitable apparatus, such as a drying-chamber or an airbath, at atemperature of about 150 Fahrenheit. The fiber is then teased and combed. The fiber, though dyed and stifiened by the treatment in the second bath, is still more or'less straight and does not possess the luster, fine color, and especially the curliness and resiliency necessary. In order to give it these qualities, I next immerse the fiber in a third bath,composed,preferably, of glue,sixty pounds; water-black, ten thousand grains; acetic acid, three pints; oleic acid, one pint, and water eighty gallons. This bath is heated to atemperature of to Fahrenheit and the fiber immersed for about three minutes. It is then removed, allowed to drain, and dried in any suitable manner at a temperature not exceeding about Fahren heit. The fiber may then be laid out on a dry floor for about twelve hours and after being again combed or teased is ready for use.

The efiect of the third bath is to make the fiber of a much finer black color than was obtained by the second bath and to give it a kind of varnish, so that the fiber is now lustrous. This bath also gives resiliency or elasticity to the fiber. Finally, the third bath has the effect of causing the fibers tocurl when dried.

As no volatile inflammable substance is used in carrying my invention into effect a great source of danger is avoided, both during the treatment and in the after use of the fiber so treated. I

I have hereinbefore described a treatment which gives good results when applied to cocoanut fiber; but my invention may be applied to any other suitable material, such as Mexican and Java fiber and many other kinds of vegetable fibers and filaments. I do not limit myself to the precise proportions and quantities of materials and times of treatment hereinbefore mentioned, as these may obviously be varied to suit the particular material treated without departing from the spirit of my invention.

fibrous or filamentary material, which con-.

sists in boiling the fiber in an alkaline solution; then treating the fiber by a combined dyeing and mordanting bath containing a suitable salt with which the fiber is impregnated; then drying and combing or teasing the fiber; then immersing the fiber in a bath containing glue, water-black, a suitable acid,

and Water heated; then finally drying the fiber and combing it or teasing it again, substantially as herein set forth.

2. The herein-described method of treating fibrous or filamentary material, which consists in boiling the fiber in a suitably-strong solution of caustic soda; then treating the fiber by a second and combined dyeing and mordanting bath containing a suitable salt with which the fiber is impregnated; then drying and combing or teasing the fiber; then immersing the fiber in a third and acid bath containing glue, water-black, a suitable acid, and water heated; then finally drying the fiber and combing it or teasing it again, substantially as herein set forth.

3. The'herein-described method of treating fibrous or filamentary material, which consists in boiling the fiber in an alkaline solution; then treating the fiber by a second and combined dyeing and mordanting bath containing logwood, sumac extract, and solution of persulfate of iron; then drying and combing or teasing the fiber; then immersing it in a third and acid bath containing glue, water-black, a suitable acid, and waterheated; then finally drying the fiber and combing it or teasing it again, substantially as herein set forth.

4, The herein-described method of treating fibrous or filamentary material which consists in boiling the fiber in an alkaline solution; then treating the fiber by a second and combined dyeing and mordanting bath containinga suitable salt with which the fiberis impregnated; then drying and combing or teasing the fiber; then immersing it in a third and acid bath containing glue, water-black, acetic acid, oleic acid and water heated; then finally drying the fiber and combing it or teasing it again, substantially as herein set forth.

5. The herein-described method of treating fibrous or filamentary material, which consists in boiling the fiber in a suitably-strong solution of caustic soda; then treating the fiber by a second and combined dyeing and mordanting bath containing logwood, sumac extract, solution of persulfate of iron; then drying and combing or teasing the fiber; then immersing the fiber in a third and acid bath containing glue, water-black, acetic acid,

oleic acid, and water heated; then finally drying the fiber and combing it or teasing it again, substantially as herein set forth.

6. The herein-described method of treating fibrous or filamentary material which consists in freeing the fiber from its natural grease then subjecting it to a bath containing the following materials in about the following quantities; logwood extract twenty pounds; sumac extract thirty pounds; a solution of persulfate of iron ninety-five pounds in five hundred gallons of water; then drying the fiber, teasing it and combing it; then treating the fiber to a bath composed of glue about sixty pounds, water-black about ten thousand grains, acetic acid about three pints, oleic acid one pint and water about eighty gallons; then drying the fiber and again combing or teasing it, substantially as set forth.

7. As a new article of manufacture, the herein-described fibrous or filamentary material prepared with an alkali, dyed and stiifened by being impregnated with a suitable salt and also pepared with glue; water-black and acid, the same resembling horsehair, but having a non-greasy feel, substantially as set forth.

In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand in presence of two witnesses.

CHARLES NEWMAN HOLMES.

Witnesses:

WALTER J. SKERTEN, G. F. WARREN. 

